I had a chance to try the North Rebel
...i still need to try it again since i didnt know how to relaunch it. it was size 12 black with something pink.
I liked that handle the gust very well, less bar pressure so my arms they dint feel so tense, jumping i think almost the same as the Vegas. I learn in the hard way that is another way to fly this kites than the C kites and took me more than an hour to figure out the best settings.
Once i got out on it was a lot of fun, delivered stady power. I felt that comparing with the C kites you need to keep a permanent tension in the lines but when a gust is hitting you you dont have that feeling

now my questions:
i felt that the kite is stalling a little bit and i need to have constant bar pressure. (the vegas if i leave it parked on top of my head flys there), with the rebel i need to have my hands on the bar and move the kite
why???

how you relunch it once is down on your leading edge? i crashed in the water the kite was with the leading edge towards me, it didnt turn around so i can put it up.

how you jump with this one comparing with your c kites?
i tried to jump but i realize if i push 2 much the power i am crashing like a rock. Once i kept the bar pull in jumping was ok. What i am doing wrong?

any setting that i need to change on the bar or kite? i flow it on the slow turning and how the bar was set by North.

I had the same thing when it was gusty that my rebel's (14&9) fell out of the sky I solved this problem by adding an extra knot on the backlines same length as the space between the other three knots. (...So I shortened the backlines)

AND NOW:
- it doesn't fall out of the sky anymore, stable as can be
- when you pull in the bar the power comes earlier not just at the end of the rope and you still have enough depower left
- it relaunches easier also, (I pump the LE a little more than 6 PSI also...)

Last edited by turboJerre on Wed Oct 18, 2006 7:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Here you can see how I've done it it's really simple.
The picture shown is the factory setting I think, so if the space is around 4cm between 2 knots, that could be correct then the total you have to shorten the back line is 8cm...

turboJerre wrote:I had the same thing when it was gusty that my rebel's (14&9) fell out of the sky I solved this problem by adding an extra knot on the backlines same length as the space between the other three knots. (...So I shortened the backlines)

AND NOW:
- it doesn't fall out of the sky anymore, stable as can be
- when you pull in the bar the power comes earlier not just at the end of the rope and you still have enough depower left
- it relaunches easier also, (I pump the LE a little more than 6 PSI also...)

I added a 4th knot to my Rebel 14 this afternoon and tried it out in 12-16 knot winds. I was surprised at how different the kite felt; more responsive but the depower was quite dramatically reduced (even with depower strap pulled in a bit). At 15 knots my bar was already more than 50% sheeted out and almost fully extended when the odd gust hit. The kite turned quicker and gave me a lot more potential pop/lift to work with because of the extra line tension, but anymore than 15/16 knots and it's back to the third knot for me! Intermediate rider, 68kg.

Last edited by Oooops on Fri Oct 20, 2006 1:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Lost wrote:
...i still need to try it again since i didnt know how to relaunch it. it was size 12 black with something pink.
........
now my questions:
i felt that the kite is stalling a little bit and i need to have constant bar pressure. (the vegas if i leave it parked on top of my head flys there), with the rebel i need to have my hands on the bar and move the kite
why???

how you relunch it once is down on your leading edge? i crashed in the water the kite was with the leading edge towards me, it didnt turn around so i can put it up.

v

Intersting observation. When I saw this kite on the beach the same thing happened. It was light winds, the kite just turned upside down in the air and fell. The kite was sitting leading edge towards the rider. Normally you should be able to relaunch an SLE kite by pulling the back line. Be careful so you don't get your fingers entagled since the kite powere up very suddenly.

The kite reminded me very much of the Caution Answer...looked interesting though.

If anyone has a fool proof way to relaunch the Rebel in light winds I'd love to know. You can't use the 5th line, and no matter how much you pull the outside line the kite doesn't wind over.

Best I've seen others do is swim to the outside and get the kite to drift to the other side. Pulling an outside line seems to be a little better here.

Once the winds are jamming, this isn't an issue. Makes me think Ken only tested this kite in high winds?

As for the knotts, the factory comes in at the 2nd knot. One closer looks to be the ticket, same as backing one up on a Crossbow. But adding the extra is even better, maye another .5 knot of low end BUT you lose a considerable amount of depower. Fine if the winds are going to stay light, but if they pick up and you're on the setting good luck.

terrios666 wrote:If anyone has a fool proof way to relaunch the Rebel in light winds I'd love to know. You can't use the 5th line, and no matter how much you pull the outside line the kite doesn't wind over.

Best I've seen others do is swim to the outside and get the kite to drift to the other side. Pulling an outside line seems to be a little better here.

Once the winds are jamming, this isn't an issue. Makes me think Ken only tested this kite in high winds?

As for the knotts, the factory comes in at the 2nd knot. One closer looks to be the ticket, same as backing one up on a Crossbow. But adding the extra is even better, maye another .5 knot of low end BUT you lose a considerable amount of depower. Fine if the winds are going to stay light, but if they pick up and you're on the setting good luck.

For riders previously using North, the relaunch is the super easy.

For those new to 5th lines, or the Rebel, the relaunch goes like this.

Pull a rear line just as you would with any bow, but in light winds you need to also add "some" 5th line tension. Just don't pull the 5th and flip the kite. Add tension only. This makes the kite move quickly to one side and helps it do the bow flip up and fly away trick.

I also bought the rebel. Don't have the slightest problem to relaunch if it is in the water leading edge down. I do it with 1/2m of pulling in the 5th line and its a peace of cake then.

But I still have no consistent method if the kite is hanging on the 5th line (for example if you pull in the 5th line to much or when you released the kite after unhooked) if the kite is lying on its back. There is zero tension on all the lines and what I do is pull in a rear line 2-3m. Sometimes it works, but sometimes it inverts and flips over and then sometimes one back line is tangled through a front line so I have to get back to beach to untangle it. I know for sure that I am not the only one having these problems, a lot of people where really angry about it. Its bad, because Rebel is a super kite, (tough Rhino07 is even better) but relaunch sucks.

Philipp

Dwight wrote:

terrios666 wrote:If anyone has a fool proof way to relaunch the Rebel in light winds I'd love to know. You can't use the 5th line, and no matter how much you pull the outside line the kite doesn't wind over.

Best I've seen others do is swim to the outside and get the kite to drift to the other side. Pulling an outside line seems to be a little better here.

Once the winds are jamming, this isn't an issue. Makes me think Ken only tested this kite in high winds?

As for the knotts, the factory comes in at the 2nd knot. One closer looks to be the ticket, same as backing one up on a Crossbow. But adding the extra is even better, maye another .5 knot of low end BUT you lose a considerable amount of depower. Fine if the winds are going to stay light, but if they pick up and you're on the setting good luck.

For riders previously using North, the relaunch is the super easy.

For those new to 5th lines, or the Rebel, the relaunch goes like this.

Pull a rear line just as you would with any bow, but in light winds you need to also add "some" 5th line tension. Just don't pull the 5th and flip the kite. Add tension only. This makes the kite move quickly to one side and helps it do the bow flip up and fly away trick.

Just to clarify with those of you adding an extra knot on your back line leaders, I am assuming that you are doing this after you have set up all lines being equal length when in the micro hook at full power on the cleat? Essentially, back lines total 8cm shorter than front/fifth line(s)? Thanks.